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Welcome Members and Guests to our World of Trucking and Expediting
Our Forum is the all year around meeting place, where drivers and owners come for Information or discuss trucking and expediting related questions. Whether you drive a Tractor/Trailer, Expediter Straight Truck or Van, you are very welcome here in Expediter World. We bring you Expediting and Trucking News on a regular basis. Trucking Professionals as well as Newbie's enjoy our Photo Gallery and NEW Free Classifieds. You can also find the right job with our new website, please visit us at www.expediterjobsonline.com. You can also check diesel fuel prices with our National Truckstop fuel price locator. Join us in relaxing, having fun and playing games.
Man found dead in truck where sexual assault was reported earlier |  | 
The truck where a woman reported being sexually assaulted was tracked from North Bend to Fife, where police found a dead man inside the cab. A female reported being sexually assaulted by a truck driver in the cab of a parked semitruck at a North Bend truck stop Tuesday, according to Snoqualmie police. After tracking the truck via GPS to a truck stop in Fife, police found a 44-year-old man from Kentucky dead inside, a news release says. Fife police are investigating. The age of the female was not released. The North Bend truck stop is near the 46600 block of Southeast North Bend Way. Cross Border Trucking Costs Jump Since U.S. 9/11 | |
OTTAWA -- Since the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the U.S. it has become more expensive to move goods by truck across the Canada–U.S. border, according to Canada’s national statistical agency. The recent study from Statistics Canada is based on the first data produced to estimate the costs associated with trucking goods across the border before and after 9/11. In the wake of 9/11, a new security regime was implemented to regulate the movements of goods across the Canada–U.S. border, raising concerns that the cost of moving goods across the border would rise. From 1994 to 2000, it cost, on average, 16% more to move goods across the Canada-U.S. border by truck than to move the same goods the same distance domestically. After 2000, the premium paid to cross the border rose steadily to 25% in 2005 and remained at about that level until 2009. The two main factors in cross-border trucking costs are fixed costs per shipment of moving goods across the border and higher line-haul costs of trucking cargo over longer distances. Delays at the border and other border compliance costs add to the fixed costs per shipment incurred by trucking firms, according to the study. These fixed costs include facilities cost, insurance and terminal costs, that is, loading and unloading. Differences in fuel prices or difficulties finding backhauls can also add to the line-haul costs of shipping to and from the United States. Whether these additional costs are imposed on the export or import leg of the cross-border journey depends on the balance of cross-border trips. The export leg bore these costs until about 2005 and, increasingly, the import leg thereafter. In 2005, the premium on the export leg was 30%, while the premium on the import leg was 20.3%. By 2009, the premium on the export leg had fallen to 17.1% and risen on the import leg to 25.6%. The extra cost associated with cross-border trucking added about 0.3% to the value of exported and imported goods, on average, from 1994 to 2000. From 2005 to 2009, the extra costs of cross-border trucking added about 0.6%, on average, to the value of goods crossing the border. According to Statistics Canada, while these additional costs are relatively small on a percentage basis, their effect is larger for goods such as autos and auto parts that pass over the border several times as they move through the various stages of the production process. What does an Expediter do? | |
An expediter has three primary responsibilities: reviewing purchasing contracts related to the delivery of goods, arranging for just in time delivery, and meeting strict deadlines. Expediters are responsible for controlling the shipment of parcels within a specific time frame. In general, expediters work for a company with a large amount of materials moving in and out. These materials are either perishable or delivery needs to be coordinated due to space limitations. Expediters are commonly found in the construction and food preparation industries. People who enjoy a challenge, are naturally outgoing and enjoy a significant amount of social interaction in their work report the greatest satisfaction as an expediter. As an expediter, you will meet with clients, suppliers, and delivery firms. The ability to interact with others while communicating clearly and effectively is very important. Regardless of the type of firm, the expediter is responsible for managing the timing of delivery. This is crucial to the smooth operation of the firm, as well as the ability to keep costs low. They are usually involved in the purchasing contract process, adding clauses and requirements surrounding the delivery of goods and any penalties for failure to perform as contracted. Arranging just in time delivery is a complex process. Although the requirement may be included in the contract, it is necessary to actually schedule the delivery closer to the date the product is required. Information regarding the loading dock, delivery time window, any documentation required, and the contact person on site must all be communicated as part of the process. An error in timing will result in overcrowding on the site, and delivery trucks waiting to offload their goods. These delays will increase costs and may delay work. An expediter typically works for a large company, with multiple simultaneous projects. In this line of work, timing is everything. A network of connections is a huge help, allowing the expediter to use the most efficient method to deliver the materials. For example, if a shipment of windows must arrive on the job site on a specific date, but the firm is unable to arrange it, the expediter must make alternate arrangements to ensure the delivery occurs on schedule. The ability to quickly access this network and make the required arrangements is critical in this job. The expediter is also responsible for managing the delivery aspect of the project. This may require following up with suppliers in advance of delivery dates, meeting with site supervisors, and talking with the project management. Any issues, delays, or concerns must be addressed immediately. Managing the contract, keeping track of issues, ensuring that costs do not increase unexpectedly, and following up on complaints are all an important part of an expediter's job. UPS buys Coyote Logistics for $1.8 billion | |
The logistics firm is expected to help UPS improve its ability to handle the holiday shipping rush.UPS is bolstering its capacity to adapt quickly to changes in shipping demand by acquiring Coyote Logistics for $1.8 billion, less than two years after UPS bungled the crucial holiday shopping season. The deal reflects a concerted effort to improve the shipping giant's ability to handle the holiday shipping rush, which presents enormous logistical challenges. Chicago-based Coyote Logistics, an arm of private equity firm Warburg Pincus, has developed a network of 35,000 contract carriers and a range of software designed to help deliver short-term trucking services to shipping companies. In 2013, UPS came under fire after failing to deliver thousands of packages to customers before Christmas, revealing shortfalls in the company's logistics operations. The company's performance improved in 2014, but every holiday shipping season presents a new test. Coyote has helped UPS expand its shipping capabilities during the holidays in recent years by hiring third-party shippers. The company had reportedly been considering an initial public offering before the UPS deal. Atlanta-based UPS said Coyote would operate as a subsidiary. The logistics firm had $2.1 billion in revenue in 2014. Coyote "has played a growing role in supporting UPS peak operations over the past few years and the company expects to leverage Coyote’s carrier network even further for this purpose in the future," UPS said in a statement. UPS hopes to close the transaction within a month and will use a combination of cash and debt to finance the deal. The company expects to wring out about $100 million to $150 million in annual cost savings following the tie-up. The deal is expected to boost UPS' ability to advise its customers on their supply chain management. Businesses that regularly ship products are constantly seeking tweaks to their shipping networks to save costs, speed shipping times and improve reliability. “UPS is enthusiastic about this acquisition on many levels because there are opportunities for growth, synergistic efficiencies and transfer of best practices and systems across all of our operating segments,” UPS CEO David Abney said. From trucking to freight brokering | |
With billions of tons of cargo moving through the nation every day, the trucking industry is growing. Trucking can be a rewarding career, but it may not be right for every life situation. If you're a trucker who wants to stay in the industry but not drive, freight brokering might be the answer.
Licensed freight brokers may be companies or individuals, some of whom work out of their homes, that match up carriers with shippers for a fee. According to Transportation Training Solutions, a Texas-based freight brokerage training institution, there are 4,000 licensed transportation brokers in the US. Only 50 percent of them work full-time. Moving on from Trucking With billions of tons of cargo moving through the nation every day, the trucking industry is growing. But trucking is a tough business, particularly if you're an independent owner/operator. And with hours-of-service rules, road congestion and increasing tolls, it's only getting tougher. John Thomas, a former accountant and founder of Atex Logistics, a freight-broker training program that includes on-the-phone coaching, says injuries, family needs, burnout and rising operating costs are the most frequently cited reasons that truck drivers hang up their keys. Thomas did extensive research by talking to shippers, brokers and truckers for months. "So many truckers are suffering with the high fuel prices and going out of business, so they're looking for an alternative," he says. "Freight brokering keeps them in the industry." Veterans Welcome Kristine Polfer, a trainee at Atex, co-runs a Florida flatbed trucking business and plans to start a freight-brokerage business. Polfer's trucking background "has already made a difference in [her] training," she says. Moreover, having trucker associates, family members and friends can be useful, because they may become your clients and partners. Half the clients Thomas trains are former truckers. Challenges and Investments A freight broker has low startup costs and monthly overhead — "a couple of phones, a fax, a computer and file cabinets, and you're in business," says Thomas. "[But] it's difficult. You may have to wait two years or more to make good money." Transportation Training Solutions officials list three major initial investments you need to make. — You will need to obtain broker's authority from a financial institution. The fee is $300. — You must obtain a surety bond or trust fund from a local bank or bonding company. Depending on your personal credit history, costs range from as little as $550 per year to a one-time fee of $10,000. This basically acts as your insurance policy for the loads you broker. — You should pay a processing agent fee of $50. If a lawsuit is filed against you, a lawyer from the state you're being sued in will inform you of the claim. Required Training Training typically takes two months, but Thomas says the length of training depends on your time commitment. "I have a 90-page manual and 21 handouts that I email," he says. Then you get set up, have a business plan ready and start contacting shippers who use freight brokers. "We use boards where shippers and truckers can post loads," much like a matching service, he says. Persistence counts. "Once the load gets covered, the broker baby-sits it to its destination and pays the trucker within 21 days," Thomas says. "You want to pay on time so that the truckers will come back to you and you build repeat business." The Profit Margin Transportation Training Solutions estimates potential profit for full-time brokers ranges from $40,000 to $150,000 a year. According to Thomas, a typical load may yield a $1,400 profit for the trucker and $140 for the broker. At five times a week, you can make $700 per week; at 25 times a week, $3,500. That gets easier to do if you build a regular client base. "It's nice to sit back and have a shipper call you," Thomas says. Truck Orders Slow in June, As Expected | |
Orders for heavy-duty vehicles in June were slightly off May's pace, while a factory move helped drive medium-duty truck orders down during the month, according to figures released Monday by ACT Research. Net orders for Class 8 vehicles in June in North America were just under 20,300 units, down slightly from the 20,500 in May. In the medium-duty market, orders for Class 5-7 posted 15,500 net orders, down significantly from May's 19,900 orders. Analysts, however, say the numbers are to be expected, for three reasons:
Vieth notes that that, after a stumble at the start of the year, a modest economic rebound was seen in the April-June timeframe and that the NA Class 8 market is playing out largely as anticipated. “With the backlog filling early in 2015, Class 8 production and sales metrics continued to gain momentum in June, growing 19% and 17% YTD, respectively. Based on ACT’s expectations for orders and build over the next three months, backlogs will continue to fall before reversing course in October.” Already, orders of Class 8 trucks over the last six months have equated to an annual rate of 305,000 units. Concerning medium-duty, Vieth said, “June’s soft, worst-since-last-June net orders need to be put in some context. In the preceding nine months, medium-duty orders averaged 19,800 units per month." On top of that, about 10% of the Class 6-7 market is simply "out of commission" as Ford moves its F650/F750 production following the end of the longstanding production deal with Navistar. Recent economic indicators in the housing market could have a positive effect on the demand for medium-duty vehicles, Vieth says. Just think about all the work trucks involved in building new houses, from the dump trucks used in the initial phases to utility trucks, contractor trucks, delivery trucks for new furniture, etc. "The last couple of data points look like maybe the ice is finally starting to melt a little bit," Vieth notes. New home starts in June exceeded economists' expectations, jumping 9.8% to hit an adjusted annual rate of 1.174 million, according to the U.S. Commerce Department. And the number of building permits, an indicator of future activity, increased 7.4% in June compare to May, hitting its highest pace in nearly eight years and rising 30% higher than June 2014. |
Truck crash, fuel leak snarls traffic on I-71 in Gallatin County for hours | |
Interstate 71 was closed for several hours Thursday near the Gallatin/Boone county line after a truck crash Thursday. Authorities said a UPS tractor-trailer was going northbound near the 69 mile marker when it ran into the median of the highway. The truck took out a length of median cable barrier before coming to rest. One of its two trailers overturned. For a time, the truck was leaking methane gas, forcing the closure of all lanes in both directions. After the leak stopped, all but the left-hand northbound lane reopened. Traffic was still slow in the area at 11 a.m. All lanes reopened around 2:30 p.m. There were no injuries, authorities said. Roadrunner buys El Paso, Texas, trucking firm for $35 million | |
Purchase will let Cudahy-based Roadrunner operate its own trucks in MexicoContinuing its acquisition strategy, Roadrunner Transportation Systems Inc. said Tuesday it has purchased an El Paso, Texas, trucking firm that operates across the Southwest and in Mexico. Roadrunner said it bought Stagecoach Cartage and Distribution for $35 million, plus up to $5 million more based on the unit's future performance. The purchase will let Cudahy-based Roadrunner operate its own trucks in Mexico, an authority the firm hasn't had. It also expands Roadrunner's presence in the Southwest. Stagecoach's revenue totaled about $34 million for the 12 months ended June 30, Roadrunner said. Stagecoach is expected to add to Roadrunner's earnings this year. The purchase is Roadrunner's 34th acquisition since 2005, and the first in 2015. The company made four purchases last year, spending about $230 million. Roadrunner's aggressive acquisition orientation has helped make it one of the country's fastest-growing trucking firms. It has gone from $565 million in revenue in 2008 to $1.87 billion last year. Transport Topics, an industry trade journal, ranks the company as the 17th-largest for-hire carrier in North America in terms of revenue. Roadrunner operates as what the industry calls an "asset-light" carrier, owning relatively few of its own trucks. About 77% of the company's 4,300 drivers as of the end of last year were independent contractors. Ambassador Bridge cocaine bust sees Toronto trucker charged | |
52 kilograms of suspected drugs hidden in rig's storage area, border agency saysThe Canada Border Services Agency said its officers found 52 kilograms of suspected cocaine hidden inside the storage areas of a truck being driven by a Toronto man on July 27. (Canada Border Services Agency) A Toronto trucker faces drug charges after border officers found 52 kilograms of suspected cocaine hidden in his rig this week. The Canada Border Services Agency said a truck was flagged for a secondary inspection at the Ambassador Bridge crossing on Monday. The bridge connects Windsor, Ont. and Detroit, Mich. The CBSA said its officers found the suspected cocaine hidden inside three duffel bags and a tote container, all of which were allegedly hidden in the truck's storage areas. The drugs were seized, the RCMP were called in and charges were laid. The 26-year-old man faces charges of cocaine importation and possession of cocaine for the purposes of trafficking. The accused is due to appear in a Windsor court on Tuesday. The charges have not been proven in court. The CBSA says it has seized some 302 kilograms of cocaine in its southern region over the past year and a half. To Get Big-Rig Drivers, Senate Bill Would Give Keys To Teens | |
Tractor-trailers have 18 wheels. But under current federal law, you can't be 18 years old and drive one across state lines. You have to be 21. The highway bill working its way through the Senate, though, would change that. "They want to allow 18-, 19- and 20-year-olds to drive big trucks. This is a terrible idea, and it will result in more crashes, more deaths and more injuries," says Jackie Gillan, president of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety. She says 18-year-olds are more likely than older drivers to crash cars, motorcycles, trucks — vehicles of all kinds. So we shouldn't let them be interstate truckers. "Drivers between the ages of 18 to 20 have four to six times higher rates of fatal crashes," she says. Even some trucking companies don't like the idea. Up near Boston's Logan airport, Eric Pennucci walks along the loading dock at Horizon Air Services, a trucking firm. Big tractor-trailers are picking up and dropping off everything from Italian shoes to live lobster. Pennucci says all of his customers are in a hurry to get this stuff. "People in New Hampshire [say], 'I need my candles! The world will end if I don't have my candles!' " he says. There's a lot of stress in the trucking business, Pennucci says. Traffic causes delays, and he says truck drivers need to be experienced, calm under pressure and able to make good decisions. So he, too, does not like the idea of 18-year-olds behind the wheel. "We just wouldn't do it. Safety means a lot. I'm OK with having to wait till your're 21 to drive a tractor-trailer," he says. But some trucking companies are having a hard time finding drivers — and they don't want to wait. "One of the reasons that ATA supports this idea is because we have today in every state in the United States — at least in the lower 48 — we have 18-, 19-, 20-year-old truck drivers operating in the state," says Dave Osiecki, head lobbyist for the American Trucking Associations in Washington. Osiecki says under state law, 18-year-olds can already drive trucks. Federal law just bans them from driving across state lines into neighboring states. But if the logic to that is that these younger drivers shouldn't be hauling long distances, Osiecki says that logic doesn't hold up. "A driver 18-, 19- or 20-year-old today can operate a large truck from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh — over 300 miles in intrastate commerce wholly within the state of Pennsylvania — but he can't go three miles across the bridge from Philadelphia into Camden, N.J.," he says. "That doesn't make a lot of sense." So Osiecki says the Senate version of the highway bill would allow neighboring states to take part in six-year pilot programs. Drivers under 21 could drive 100 miles into neighboring states. But that would be the new limit. They still couldn't drive, say, from New York to California. "Those people who want to paint this as a completely radical idea and just opening the barn doors to these young horses to run, that's just inappropriate and unfair," Osiecki says. Still, safety advocates say this would expand the use of teenage truck drivers who are more likely to have accidents. And they worry that the 100-mile limitation could be removed down the road. In any case, Congress will pick the issue back up when lawmakers return from the summer recess. Head of RI Trucking Association Arrested for Obscene Calls to Officials | |
Wright is the incoming chair of the RI Trucking Association The incoming Chair of the Rhode Island Trucking Association, Stephen Wright, was arrested for making "crank or obscene" phone calls to elected officials in Smithfield -- and while Town Council members are calling out his behavior, the President of the Trucking Association is fully supporting Wright. Wright, a former Smithfield Zoning Board member, pled no contest on July 23 to the misdemeanor charges following the June 26 incident where he placed several calls to the Smithfield Town Council President Bernard Hawkins and Smithfield Town Council Vice President Suzy Alba while drinking with other Smithfield elected officials, allegedly referring to her a c-nt, according to police records. Wright received a one year filing, $100 donation to VCIF, court costs, and to have no contact with Alba or Hawkins. "I not only question the judgment, character and integrity of the caller Stephen Wright, but I am also deeply troubled and concerned that chairman of our zoning board Tony Fonseca allowed this type of behavior and crime to take place in his home, and that all who were present and witnessed these harassing calls being made repeatedly, to many people over several hours, did nothing to stop them and could be heard laughing in the background," said Alba. "It is very unfortunate that I now have lost my confidence and trust in their leadership and their ability to serve admirably and respectfully" "I ask everyone involved, who happen to all be men, "How would you feel if your wife, mother, sister or daughter received the type of calls that I did, at that time of night, using that type of language?" asked Alba. Incident Outlined According to the police reports, the incident took place on June 26 at Chairman of the Smithfield Zoning Board Antonio Fonseca's house, at a gathering that included former zoning board member George McKinnon, Smithfield school committee chair Sean Clough, and Town Council member Greg Tocco. Alba was called twice -- following the call where she heard the c-nt reference, she let the next one go to voicemail. Hawkins was reportedly called four times between 9 P.M. and 1 A.M. "I didn't recognize the number, but the second message was from Steve and he addressed me as "Dick," said Hawkins in his witness statement, saying Wright kept inviting him to go to [a] party. "I have no social interaction with Foncesca, McKinnon, and Wright."
"He resigned from the Smithfield Zoning Board a few days after, but I understand he's the incoming chair of the Trucker's Association," said Hawkins of Wright -- and the calls. "There's politics to play, I imagine it's over zoning appointments. They're probably upset a couple of members didn't have votes to get reappointed." Hawkins said he thought that Wright "took the rap" for others who were present with him that evening. "Those [police] reports aren't the exact truth -- there were only two people in the crowd that had my number, so someone gave it to him," said Hawkins. "It's one thing if you're calling, waking up your buddies, but if you're public officials, it's just childish." Neither Wright nor his lawyer responded to request for comment on Friday. Chris Maxwell, President of the Rhode Island Trucking Association, said he supports Wright "100%" "Steve was on my board, he was transparent with me about the incident, will remain on the board, and is my incoming chairman, and will remain my incoming chairman," said Maxwell. "I can vouch for the character of Steve Wright as a family man, honest man, and this incident was the result was political fodder," said Maxwell. "He was completely transparent with me." |
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